UK websites to support your health

Posted on September 16, 2016
by Helen Field

When it comes to health it's hard to know which websites and forums are trustworthy. We want to help make sure you're looking on
sites which are accurate, up to date, and contributed to by reputable health professionals. So we've put together a list of recommended UK health websites. They're not just for checking symptoms - there's a lot more to gather along the
way.

Your go-to all round healthcare site: NHS Choices
If you need to learn more about a health condition then this is the UK health website we recommend. Aimed mainly at patients, there's an A-Z of hundreds of conditions like arthritis,
dementia, and pregnancy. You can discover healthy living tips to do with sleep, and a guide to social care, such as what to look for when choosing a care home.

Aimed at patients and health professionals, Patient is a recommended UK source which covers all-round health and wellbeing. You can search symptoms, health information and medicines, and use the free Symptom Checker. See what you can learn about health and wellbeing in blogs and videos
with TV's Doctor Sarah Jarvis. If you're a student you can keep a log of every site you visit throughout the year using the PatientPro Complete tool. You can then export a summary for appraisal
and revalidation.

If you rummage around in the Health Hub, you'll discover loads on health, nutrition, and parenting articles, as well as recipes and patient stories. Aiming for a healthier, more active lifestyle? You can sign up to MyHealth to see how much you
can improve in 12 weeks. What a great motivation!

Dig deeper into the pages and you'll discover some gems, like what exactly happens in an allergic reaction, and what kind of tests could help you get to the root of your
allergy.

Getting the technical details you need: The source of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)

This is a goldmine of up-to-date details on procedures, policies, and publications, whether you're a GP, a public health professional in local government or a member of the public.

Get fast access to the latest guidance you can trust, on a range of topics like autism and neurological conditions, using the NICE Pathways online search tool. Under NICE Guidance, you can sift through quality standards and indicators, authoritative evidence, journals, the British National Formulary, and Clinical Knowledge Summaries, to name only a few. There's
even a whole section on cost saving and productivity, if you're looking for recommended ways to improve the medical outcomes as well as saving money.

NICE highlights:

Backup your work in health and social care with evidence based guidance

If you're checking symptoms on our recommended UK health websites, you should still visit a health professional for a consultation. The sooner you get checked out, the faster you can address your condition. There are many ways to get help for
many healthcare needs, which means gaining awareness, understanding, and knowledge is easier than ever before. Staying fit and healthy and taking care of your everyday health can help you avoid some conditions, like heart disease, anxiety, and
obesity.